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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, U.S. Navy Seaman Lawrence Paul Hayden gave his life |
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in the line of duty during the tragic attack on the USS Liberty in |
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the eastern Mediterranean Sea on June 8, 1967; and |
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WHEREAS, During the Six-Day War, the USS Liberty, an American |
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signals intelligence ship, was stationed off the coast of Gaza, and |
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on June 8, the ship was attacked by Israeli fighter planes and |
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torpedo boats; of the 34 Americans killed and the 171 wounded, |
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Mr. Hayden is believed to be the only Texan; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Houston, Larry Hayden was adopted at |
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birth on June 16, 1947, by Mr. and Mrs. James H. Hayden, and he grew |
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up with two sisters and a brother; as a young boy, he used his talent |
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performing magic tricks at benefits for orphanages and other |
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charities, and he went on to become an accomplished public speaker, |
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debater, and actor, playing in both professional and school |
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productions; he was president of his church's youth group, and by |
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the time he graduated from high school, he was already working as a |
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radio announcer on KQED radio in Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty, Mr. Hayden |
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joined the U.S. Navy in May 1966, and he was stationed on the USS |
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Liberty as a cryptologic technician; he had been serving for just |
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over a year on the day of the attack, and he died eight days before |
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his 20th birthday; he is buried in Arlington National Cemetery; and |
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WHEREAS, Lawrence Hayden was a young man of great promise who |
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made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country, and his |
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fellow Americans owe him a debt that the passage of time can never |
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diminish; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of U.S. Navy Seaman |
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Lawrence Paul Hayden. |